Designing Effective User Interfaces for Software Simulations to Teach Signal Processing Concepts

摘要

Educators have embraced software simulations as a tool for teaching signal processing concepts. Simulations allow students to interact with abstract concepts such as convolution, difference equations, filtering, sampling theory and many more. Software simulations strive to achieve learning objectives by presenting an interactive user interface that gives students the ability to interactively explore relationships. Such interaction seeks to improve learning by fostering an intuitive feel for the relationship between parameters and the results. It is evident that the design of the user interface plays a key role in success or failure. For instance, students can easily be distracted by elements of the software or activities that are not directly related to the subject at hand. This paper presents user interface design advice that works toward development of software simulations and related student activities for teaching signal processing that successfully achieve learning objectives. Interactive software demonstrations developed using NI LabVIEW provide examples that support the discussion.